Overwrapped carton



8, 1970 K. T. BUTTERY 3,524,582

OVERWRAPPED CARTON Filed Oct. 1, 1968 I N VENTOR.

K T TTERV BYWCL/IOMM United States Patent O 3,524,582 OVERWRAPPED CARTON Kenneth T. Buttery, Kalamazoo, Mich, assignor to Brown Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 764,095 Int. Cl. B65d /54 U.S. Cl. 22951 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carton having a cover panel adapted to be opened upon the removal of a tear strip is provided with an overwrap adapted to remain secured to the carton after the carton is opened. The overwrap is adhesively secured to the carton body along panels adjacent the cover panel along adhesive zones adjacent the tear strip so that upon the removal of the tear strip the adhesive bond between the carton and overwrap is not affected.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Overwrapped paperboard cartons are extremely popular as containers for various items and particularly food products. The overwrapping, if properly selected, in addition to providing a decorous facade for the carton exterior also serves to protect the freshness and purity of the cartons contents. Cellophane, waxed paper, and aluminum foil are used extensively as overwraps because of their capability to be sealed in an air tight manner and because of their water repellency. These materials are also well suited for use as overwraps for consumer products because of the relative ease and wide variety of ways in which they can be imprinted.

The principal objection to the use of overwrapped cartons has heretofore been based on the fact that once the carton is opened the overwrap has a tendency to separate from the carton leaving an unsightly and in many instances an unidentifiable remainder.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved overwrapped carton of paperboard stock which may readily be filled, sealed and opened and, which when opened will retain its overwrapping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects and advantages are attained in accordance with the present invention by providing a carton having a cover panel adapted to be opened upon the removal of a tear strip with a suitable overwrap. The overwrap is adhesively secured to the carton along adhesive zones adjacent to the tear strip but spaced apart therefrom. Upon the removal of the tear strip and the fracturing of that portion of the overwrap directly over the tear strip, the remainder of the overwrap remains securely afiixed to the opened carton.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paperboard carton which may be provided with an overwrap in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 depicting the carton, the overwrap, and the adhesive zones;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wrapped carton of FIG. 2 partially opened;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting the fully opened carton of FIG. 3 depicting the overwrap securely maintained in position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 for an alternate carton construction;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 for the carton of FIG. 5;

3,524,582 Patented Aug. 18, 1970 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference is now made to the drawings wherein similar parts shown in the various views are designated by similar reference numerals and wherein areas to which adhesive materials are to be applied are depicted as being speckled. In FIG. 1 a sealed paperboard carton 10 is depicted as generally including a front wall panel 12, a rear wall panel (not depicted), a top wall panel 14, a bottom panel (not depicted) and end wall panels formed of end flap 16, and tabs 18 and 20. The carton may be top or end filled, this aspect of the carton construction being immaterial to the present disclosure. A tear strip 22 provides access to the carton interior after the carton is closed in a manner well known in the art. After the tear strip is removed and the carton opened, the top panel which is hingedly connected to the rear Wall panel at 34 serves as a cover panel which can thereafter be repeatedly opened and closed. Carton 36 of FIG. 5 is similarly top opening and carton 46 depicted in FIG. 7 is end opening.

In each of the cartons depicted, the tear strip serves to secure the panel to be opened to one or more of the remaining panels of the carton. Similarly, the panel which is to serve as a cover panel is hingedly connected to the rest of the carton. Thus, in FIG. 3 it can be seen that the top cover panel 14 is hingedly connected to the rear along score line 32 and connected to front panel 12 by the tear strip 22. In FIG. 5 carton 36 has its top cover panel 38 hingedly connected to a rear panel and secured to the front and end walls 40 and 42 by tear strip 44. Carton 46 which is end opening has tear strip 48 securing the end cover flaps 50 and 52 to one another. Each cover flap is hingedly connected to a side panel and in this regard flap 50 is connected to panel 54 along score line 56 and cover flap 52 is connected to the rear side panel along score line 58. Since for purposes of the present invention of the carton construction are immaterial, the following discussion will be directed primarily at the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 through 4.

After carton 10 is filled and closed, it is wrapped in an overwrap 24 which may originally be in the form of a sheet of cellophane, Saran, aluminum foil, Wax paper, or any other suitable material. The overwrap may be preprinted with any desired advertising or identifying material.

Generally rectangular carton 10 is overwrapped in a standard manner. That is, the carton bottom is first positioned on the overwrap, the overwrap is then drawn over the top and down the front or rear of the carton and thereafter the edges are folded inwardly. In order to secure the overwrap to the carton an adhesive is applied to the carton panels adjacent the tear strip. A similar adhesive zone 30 may be provided about the front and sides of the top cover panel. This requires that an adhesive free zone 32 be interposed between the adhesive zone 30 and the top peripheral edges.

Present overwrap contains within the coating a heat sealing agent so that heat alone is required to adhere the overwrap to the carton.

The carton 10 is opened by tearing and removing strip 22 and simultaneously tearing the section of overwrap directly overlying the tear strip. Alternatively, the carton may be designed so that the overwrap must first be torn overlying the tear strip prior to the removal of the strip. In any event after the tear strip is removed the carton may easily be opened by raising the top panel thereby causing the overwrap overlying the top panel end to tear from front to rear. The tearing of the overwrap will be confined adjacent to the cover panel 14. The construction of the carton depicted in FIG. 5 is identical to that of the primary embodiment with the exception that the adhesive zone 60 on the carton front panel also extends to the end panels. This is necessary since tear strip 44 removes stock located on both the front and end panels.

The carton depicted in FIG. 7 is end opening and in this regard end flaps 50 and 52 are adapted to form the cover panels when tear strip 48 is removed. The cover panels are hingedly connected along score lines 56 and 58 to the side panels of the carton. The adhesive zone 60 is located adjacent score line 56 in a manner similar to that in which the adhesive zones for the other embodiments are disposed. Tear strip 48 serves to open the carton and, when the tear strip is removed the overwrap which is secured to the carton at adhesive zone 60 will remain secured to the carton. In all the embodiments after the carton is opened the overwrap remains secured to the sides of the carton fixed in position by the adhesive zones. Future opening and closing of the cartons will not affect the overwrap which will not become disengaged from the carton during use.

It should be apparent that various modifications may be made from the disclosed embodiments of my invention without departing from the scope of the invention. In this regard, it is particularly noted that variations may be made in the construction of the carton. The true scope of my invention is to be determined by the appended claims:

I claim:

1. An improved carton having interengaged end wall panels, side wall panels, and top and bottom panels, at least one of said panels being hingedly connected to an adjacent panel and adapted to form a cover for the carton, a tear strip removably connected to an edge of said cover panel and coupling said cover panel to an adjacent panel, said tear strip being adapted to be removed so as to enable said cover panel to be opened and alford access to the carton interior, and an overwrap completely wrapped about said carton exterior prior to the removal of the tear strip and adhesively secured to the carton along at least one adhesive zone disposed in said cover panel and in the panel adjacent said cover panel to which said tear strip is coupled, whereby when said tear strip is removed and the carton opened, said overwrap remains secured to said carton.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cover panel comprises the carton top panel, said tear strip couples the top panel to the carton front panel, and said adhesive zone is disposed in said front panel.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cover panel comprises the carton top panel, said tear strip couples said top panel to the front and end panels, and said adhesive zone is disposed on the carton front panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,998,717 4/1935 Guyer. 2,343,222 2/1944 Nelson. 3,168,974 2/1965 Buttery et al. 3,206,102 9/1965 Henry et al. 3,206,103 9/1965 Bixler.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner I. R. GARRETT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 229-14, 87 

